Door check



E. F. STOCHL Sept. 20, 1955 DOOR CHECK Filed June 22, 1955 United States Patent DOOR CHECK Ernest F. Stochl, Creighton, Nebr.

Application June 22, 1953, Serial No. 363,216

4 Claims. (Cl. 1685) This invention relates to a door check and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a door check of greater power than heretofore.

It has long been well known that there is a great problem in the breakage of doors from blowing open in high winds.

A further object of this invention is to provide a door check which will effectively prevent a door from being blown violently open in a high wind. I have found in experiments that my door check will effectively prevent a door from blowing open excessively even in winds as high as 60 and 75 miles an hour. I have reason to believe that it will work well in winds still higher.

A further object is to provide a door check for use not only on exterior doors but on interior doors and where violent use is likely to occur as for example in the interior doors of school buildings and the like where a door can be violently thrown open at times.

A further object is to lessen the cost of replacement of glass in doors and in the remounting of hinges and the like which become broken away and to lessen the cost of replacing doors the mill work parts of which become broken.

Yet a further object is to provide a door check of desirable construction which will prevent the breakage of door closing devices as happens frequently since the Wind pressure against an open door can be very high.

Still another object is to provide a door check which is adapted to make any door closer with which I have had experience work better. This is true because most door closers must be designed in such a way that they make is very difiicult for children to initially open a door as the closer must be designed strongly to prevent the door from becoming whipped open by the wind and broken. I have found that by using my door check supplementally to a door opener that it becomes possible to use a door opener of a type much easier to open.

I have found that the use of my door check in combination with a door closer provides a door easier to open and one which closes automatically and without attention.

Yet a further object is to provide a door check taking maximum advantage of the loss of leverage by anchoring two ends of a flexible member or chain one as far out on the door as desired and the other on the door jam preferably as far from the hinged edge of the door as possible.

Yet a further object is to provide a door check which can be easily adjusted.

Yet another object is to provide a door check which can be adjusted for use as a combination door check and door closer.

Still another object is to provide an effective door check which can be more economically constructed than heretofore, as the length of spring needed is comparatively short due to the arrangement of parts.

Most popular door checks now on the market are of a type such that the door check takes etfect suddenly after 2,718,025 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 I CC' a door has opened sufiiciently to have taken up the slack in a chain leading to a spring.

It is an object of my invention to. provide a door check which will gradually open with gradually increasing tension beginning at a comparatively much earlier stage in the swinging of the door. 7

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawing and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawing which are illustrated only for the purpose of showing a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utillizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made asdesired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention, and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows the interior view of a door in closed position with the device attached.

Figure 2 is a top plan of a door and door jamb with the device applied, the door being shown in open position.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of a door and door jamb with the device applied, showing an alternative method of attachment.

A and B are the door, and the vertical door jamb respectively. 10 and 12 are chains provided at each of their ends with S-hooks 16, 18, 20 and 22. These chains 10 and 12 are attached at their outer ends to brackets 24 and 26 respectively, by means of the S-hooks 2t) and 22. Bracket 24 is screwed, or otherwise suitably fastened to the door A and bracket 26 is attached to the horizontal under surface of the top section C of the door jamb'. The remaining ends of the pair of chains attach by means of the S-hooks 16 and 18 to a triangular bracket 14. In the preferred form of the invention, Figures 1 and 2, one end of the'spring 28 is hooked to an eye or hook member 30 located on the vertical section of the door jamb B nearest the hinges of the door. The opposite end of the spring 28 hooks into an opening in one corner of the.

triangular bracket 14. Illustrated in Figure 3 is an alternative method of attachment wherein one end of spring 28, instead of engaging the hook 30 located on the door jamb B is engaged by the hook 32 which is located on the door A, and fastened thereto.

Further illustrated in Figure 3 is the use of a single length of chain 40 whereby the chain 40 is attached to the free end of the spring 28 by hooking the spring into one of the links located midway between the ends of the chain 40.

In operation, when the door is closed, the chain 10 being of suitable length, may fall loosely, and the spring is in a contracted position not under tension. This is shown in Figure 1. When the door is swung open, the chains are brought to their full length, and as the door is further opened, tension is exerted upon the spring 28 allowing the door to swing open still further, but under tension.

It will be seen that the spring tension prevents the chains from reaching a position of alignment with each other under all predictable extreme normal conditions of pressure on the inner side of the door, such as violent winds, or careless pushing of children.

Also, it will be seen that the position of the anchoring member or bracket 24 can be placed outwardly on the door or inwardly on the door of the position shown to have the effect of causing the opening of the door to be arrested by the tension of the spring either earlier or later in the opening of the door, as will be desired in different uses.

It will be further seen that difierent placement of the 3 bracket 26 can have the same eflect. Also, it will be seen that a longer or shorter spring can have this effeet.

It is to be understood that the device of this invention is not intended to be so placed as to close the door completely, but is intended to function as shown in Figure 2 to check the opening of the door, preventing door breakage and door closer breakage.

Also, it will be seen that the flexible members or chains and 12 can instead be a single chain 40 at tached to the spring 28 adjacent its center, as best illustrated in Figure 3.

It will be further seen that other means can be used in place of the triangular plate 14 and that if desired the spring can be directly connected to the chains 10 and 12 or to the center of a single chain 40, if that is used.

I have found that the screw eye 30 can be placed in either the upper portion of the side of the door jamb, or in the upper side of the door jamb as desired, and that considerable change can be made in the position of the screw eye 30 without seriously affecting the action of the door check.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a door check constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A door check for use with a hinged door and door jamb comprising: spring means disposed on the inner side of said door and adjacent the hinged edge of the door, said spring means extending outwardly from the vicinity of the hinged edge of said door generally in the direction of the free edge of the door, means anchoring that end of said spring means which is disposed adjacent the hinged edge of said door whereby said spring means will resist a pulling on the other end of said spring means, a flexible elongated member attached to the inner face of said door at a place substantially spaced from said hinged edge, said place being disposed farther out on said door from said hinged edge than the said other end of said spring means, the other end of said flexible elongated member extending inwardly adjacent said other end of said spring means, a second elongated flexible member having one end adjacent said other end of said spring means and having its other end anchored to the upper side of said door jamb at a point spaced on said door jamb a substantial distance from said other end of said spring means, means attaching the unanchored end of said elongated flexible members to the other end of said spring means, said elongated flexible members and spring being of such length as to be in a relaxed position at times when said door is closed and of such length that said elongated flexible members become taut and said spring becomes extended after said door has been opened a certain desired distance, said spring becoming further extended and permitting said door to open further than said certain distance and said spring being sufficiently strong and the arrangement of parts being such that said door is prevented from opening further than a certain desired maximum under all predictable and reasonable extreme conditions of force against the inner face of said door.

2. A door check as described in claim 1 in which that end of said spring means which is disposed adjacent the hinged edge of said door is anchored to the upper portion of the adjacent side of the door jamb.

3. A door check as described in claim 1 in which that end of said spring means which is disposed adjacent the hinged edge of said door is anchored to the upper side of the door jamb.

4. A door check for use with a hinged door and door jamb comprising: spring means disposed inwardly of the door adjacent the hinged edge of the door and adjacent the inner face of the door, said spring means extending outwardly from the vicinity of the hinged edge of said door partially in the direction of the free edge of the door, means anchoring that end of said spring means which is disposed adjacent the hinged edge of said door whereby said spring means will resist a pulling on the other end of said spring means, elongated flexible means attached to the inner face of said door at a place substantially spaced from said hinged edge, said place being disposed farther out on said door from said hinged edge than the said other end of said spring means, a section of said flexible means adjacent the center thereof being attached to the other end of said spring, the other end of said flexible means being attached to the upper side of said door jamb at a point spaced on said door jamb a substantial distance from said other end of said spring means, said elongated flexible means and spring being of such length as to be in a relaxed position at times when said door is closed and of such length that said elongated flexible means becomes taut and said spring becomes extended after said door has been opened a certain desired distance, said spring becoming further extended and permitting said door to open further than said certain distance and said spring being sufficiently strong and the arrangement of parts being such that said door is prevented from opening further than a certain desired maximum under all predicted and reasonable extreme conditions of force against the inner face of said door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,295,496 Cameron Sept. 8, 1942 2,495,881 Wilson Jan. 31, 1950 2,608,711 Moore Sept. 2, 1952 

